Dreamy Home: SoCal Cool

If ever there was a local house that would be perfect for Architectural Digest, this would be it.

Located in Negros, this house is built in a style that's evocative of Arizona or Mexico--so unlike anything else in the Philippines, where Mediterranean and Tropical Moderne styles are king. So I had to ask the owner what inspired him to come up with this design. He replied that he had studied in Southern California and the landscape there--dry, with lots of red and brown--was very similar to the Negros property in the summer. He just took off from there.

The furniture is ever-evolving, since the owner is a furniture designer. He and his wife are such gracious hosts--this is a couple (and a house) that is used to entertaining. Well, yeah, if I lived there, I'd have people over all the time.

And I haven't even shown you the best part yet.

It is one of the most amazing houses I've ever seen, and after years of shooting beautiful homes all over the country for Real Living, that's saying something! I never thought I would be attracted to this style (for years, I adored Arthur Casas' Iporanga project), but this house kind of altered my idea of a dream home.

I had to restrain myself from going into complete RL mode and asking a million questions about the house. I think the only other thing I asked him was how he found this dreamy place, a cliff overlooking sea and mountains. "I just chanced upon the property," he replied.

If only we could all be so lucky.